AUTHOR: Abigail
EMAIL: Daphne_2000_us@yahoo.com
CATEGORY: KW
RATING: PG
SPOILERS: None
ARCHIVE: None
DISCLAIMER: By no way what-so-ever is this fanfic, or any other work I
produce, in any way associated with Warner Bros., NBC, Constant C
Productions, or any other company dealing with the production of "ER".
I own no rights to the show, characters, storylines, ect. This is a
piece of work done by me and no one else.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is my first fanfic done approx. three months ago.
I would love to hear your input on it.
SUMMARY: Dr. Weaver is in search of her past, the truth, and her life.
Stumbling across a few unknowns, a few tears, and finding a new
friends, Kerry uncovers the her startling past.

Kerry pushed the rewind button on her answering macine, then calmly
pushed play, once more. The solumn voice came back on, Kerry listened
intently. It was the voice of Private Investigator Brian Riely. "Dr. Weaver, I have uncovered some important information involving your case. If you could please stope by this afternoon around 4:00, I would deeply appreciate it. Good day." Kerry stood quietly in her kitchen, this was the day she had been waiting for. She would finally have the answers she so desparetly wanted and needed.

Kerry glanced up at the wall clock, it was only a little after 2:00 and
she wasn't scheduled to be on until 7:00. She would have plenty of time to
run over to Mr. Riely's office. Kerry took a deep breath inward and
exhaled slowly. The time that she had spent wondering about her past would
finally be over, she would know. A slight tinge of guilt and pain crept over
her, did she really want to know the truth, though? Kerry quickly pushed
those thoughts aside.

Making her way over to the cabinets, she reached for a glass. Holding
the glass carefully in one hand, she shut the cabinet door and headed
towards her refrigerator. Gently, she sat the glass down, opened the
refrigerator door, and reached for the bottle of chilled Chardenay she kept resting in the side holder. Sitting the cold glass bottle onto the oblong shape table, she shut the refrigerator door with her brace and turned around.
Carefully undoing the cork of the bottle, she poured a small amount of red wine into her glass. Kerry lifted the glass into the air slowly and smiled a
deep broad smile, "A toast," she said aloud, "to the future and all the
promising events that will and shall occur." The glass quickly slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a crash, glass flew across the tiles and red
wine stained the walls and cabinets. Kerry pushed the table chair away from
the table, slid her brace off, letting it hit the floor. She eased herself
down onto the hard over-stylish chair and laid her head in her hands. What
was the point, she pondered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kerry looked both ways before heading out into the traffic, the noise
of the people around her was deafening. Quickly checking road signs, she
realized that Mr. Riely's office was near. Taking a deep breath, she crossed
over onto the drab gray sidewalk and headed in the direction that she
assumed was correct. Checking her watch, she found that she would make the
appointment with several minutes to spare. Kerry checked address numbers and
stumbled upon the tall bricked building, with the green trim door. Painted
along the doors glass window in gold lettering was, Private Investigator Brian Riely. Kerry checked the address she had written down on a piece of scrap paper. After she was positive she was at the right location, Kerry folded the paper quickly and slid it into her coat pocket. Sighing, she ambled up the hard concrete steps and latched onto the heavy door handle, pulling with great force, she opened the door and stepped in. An aroma of mold and dirt fell over. The decor was that of dark early original American style furniture and harsh portraits of old men graced the walls. A small desk was set up in the center of the room, with a rather young women behind it.

Kerry headed towards the desk, pushing fears aside. The young women
looked up from the files of yellow paper and smiled gently. She appeared to
be in her early thirties, dark black hair, which was pulled back in a tight
bun. Her eyes creased at the corners, showing stress and tiredness. Her
voice was sweet and gentle, though.

"What can I do for you today, ma'am."

Kerry smiled, "I have an appointment to speak with Mr. Riely."

They young woman nodded her head and checked her appointment schedule,
which was hidden under a pile of investigative reports. "And you name would
be?"

"Dr. Kerry Weaver, " Kerry replied almost unsure of herself.

"Yes, here it is, four o'clock." The woman checked her watch. "A bit
early but I am sure he won't mind. Go ahead and go on in, the last door on
the left." She nudged her head in that direction. "Just knock before you
enter and state who you are."

Kerry nodded and thanked her. Circling around the desk, Kerry headed
towards the door. Her hands trembled so, she could hardly keep grasp
of her brace. Facing the door, Kerry took a deep breath and knocked lightly,
three times.

A deep voice came from behind the door, "Come in, it's open."

Kerry opened the door gently and stepped through. In an instant, she
entered another world. Mr. Riely's office was decorated in light
colors, with a soft colored desk centered in the center of the room. He looked up, smiling. "Dr. Weaver, how nice to see you. I am so glad that you were able to make the appointment." He eased himself from his overstuffed
leather chair and came around his desk. Pulling a chair out, he offered it to Kerry. "Please sit down." Kerry nodded and took the seat, sitting her
brace against the side of the desk. Mr. Riely leaned against the side
of his desk and smiled down at Kerry. "So, you must be concerned as to
why I called you in here, I assume."

Kerry nodded her head in assurance, "Yes, somewhat concerned. I
figured it dealt with the case that I had you working on."

Mr. Riely nodded his head, "That is does. Before we get started, can I
get you a cup of coffee or anything?"

Kerry shook her head, arguing against it, "No, I'm fine, thank-you."

Mr. Riely agreed and backed around his desk, sitting himself down into
his chair once more. "Dr. Weaver...."

"You can call me 'Kerry'," she interrupted.

He smiled, "Kerry. Using the information that you have given me and the
time that I have had to uncover certain details, I have been able to learn
quite a lot about your early childhood. Mostly, the time included from your
birth unto when you were adopted at three months of age." Kerry nodded,
intently listening to what he was telling her. "From what you told me, you
hired another private investigator early on, approximately a year ago, is
that correct?"

"Yes, that's true. I hired him, oh, at least two years ago. He seemed
to have a promising lead, however, it turned out inconclusive." Mr. Riely
nodded, Kerry went on. "I have been looking for my biological mother
for some time now, however, I did take a break after the last lead was a
let down. I just felt as if I couldn't put myself through the torture any
longer." Kerry sighed, "Something hit me though, and I realized that I
had to know the truth, no matter what it was."

"That's what I remembered," Mr. Riely answered back. "Now, from what
you
have told me, I have been able to do some extensive research on the
matter.
First, let me go over the information that I recieved from you a couple
of
months back. I want to make sure that I copied it all down right the
first
time." Kerry nodded, somewhat annoyed by the fact that he was brining
this
matter up now. Shouldn't he have checked with her on this information
prior
to now, say, when he began his investigation? Mr. Riely continued on,
"Now,
first, the information on your adotptive father's background." He
cleared
his voice, "Name: Franklin Weaver; occupation: mechanic; died at age
73;
leaving only you and his wife, your adoptive mother, at his time of
death.
He was born in Vermont, correct?" Kerry nodded. Mr. Riely went on,
"That's
what I have written down for him. Now, your adopted mother. Name:
Christina
Weaver; occupation: homemaker; died at age 67, leaving only you as the
only
survivor. She was, too, born in Vermont, correct?"

Kerry nodded, "Yes, all of that information is correct. However, how
does
it intertwing with my biological family?"

"We need to know all information about your adoptive parents, that will
lead
us to where you wer adopted and lead us to where your biological family
is
located to this day."

Kerry sighed, "All of this information you are telling me, I already
know.
Why exactly did you call me in today, Mr. Riely?"

He reached for a heavy manila file, set it upon his desk, and flipped
it
open. "This is why, Dr. Weaver." He laid before her a written
document,
with her adoptive parents signature written upon it. "I have unconvered
this. This document is the official adoption papers that your parents
signed off on when they adopted you." Kerry reached for it, looking
over
the tattered yellow paper.

She stuttered, "But my parents told me that they didn't know where this
was
at. They said that the county clerk had kept these records, and they
were
considered confidential."

Mr. Riely nodded, "They are, I latched onto them when I told them who I
was
and what I was doing. It's a matter of knowing the right people, Dr.
Weaver." He went on, reaching for the adoption papers. Kerry gently
handed
them to him, treating them with the value of gold. "Now, this leads us
to
your mother and the reason for why your were given up for adoption. If
you
will look at the top here, in the corner, it is signed by your
biological
mother, along with one other witness. Mr. William Megeveres was the
local
church priest at the time, he was signed off as the witness. Now, as
for
your mother's signature, it is signed off on as, 'Allison Mathers'."

Kerry tensed up, Allison Mathers, her mother. She was at a loss for
words. Mr. Riely laid the paper down and looked at Kerry with
inquisitive
eyes. "Dr. Weaver, I have pulled up all prior information dealing with
Miss
Mathers. If you wish to hear it, I will resume our conversation."
Kerry
nodded, that had been the whole reason for doing this. Mr. Riely took a
deep
breath and continued on, "Your mothers name is Allison Mathers, she was
17
at the time she gave birth to you. You were born in the small town of
Center Creek, Vermont. Currently, Miss Mathers resides in Michigan,
she is
57 years old, married to Mr. James Harver, a local teacher. Together,
they
have three children."

Kerry smiled to herself, her mother, Mrs. Allison Harver, a mother of
three
besides Kerry. She was astonished, yet upset at the same time. Why
had
Miss Mathers given her up for adoption? Kerry knew the true answer.
It
wasn't a hidden secret, her adoptive parents had revealed it to her
sometime
back, when they were both still living. Kerry knew all along why she
had
been given up by Allison Mathers. It was a simple, logical answer.
Kerry
looked up at Mr. Riely. "Does the papers conclude as to why Mrs.
Harver
gave me up for adoption at the time?" Kerry knew, he knew, they all
knew
why. She had to make sure though, she had to know the truth. Kerry
had
gone this far, why not a bit farther?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kerry struggled to open the large door that led outside of Mr. Riely's
office. She was shaking so badly and her hands were cool and clamy.
Glancing at the crumbled paper she was holding tightly in her hand, she
whinced. The painful truth had came out and she was not ready for it,
not
ready for it at all. Kerry ambled off of the steps and headed down the
sidewalk, wide-eyed and in wonder. None of the words that Mr. Riely
had
told her registered, none of it made any sense, any sense at all.
Kerry
struggled to stay calm, making her way towards a bench, she sat down,
leaning her brace beside her. Gently, she placed the wadded up paper
into
her coat pocket, and laid her head in her hands. The pain was
overwhelming
and the tears were coming at a constant stream.

Kerry cautiously unlocked her front door, peeking around before
stepping in.
Kerry shut the door quietly behind her, and hung her coat on the
small
hook to the left of the door, not before removing the piece of paper
that
told all from her pocket. Walking through the hall, she turned on
every
light, even though the sunshine was pouring through. Glancing at the
wall
clock, she noted it was a quarter till seven. She was on in fifteen
more
mintues, she couldn't go in, though, not in this condition.

Kerry turned the shower on in her master bathroom, and headed towards
her
bed. Sitting on the edge, she unfolded the paper and glared at the
information: Allison Mathers Harver, South City, Michigan. Kerry
concentrated on that paper, her hands still shaking. The strong vapors
and
steam came through out of the bathroom, engolfing her room. She
reached for
the phone and quickly dialed County's number. A rushed Randi answered,
"Hello, County General ER, how may I help you?" Kerry could hear her
popping her gum in the receiver. "Helllooooo??," Ranid echoed. "Yes,
Randi,
this is Dr. Weaver. Please inform Mark that I will be unable to come
in
today due to family problems. Thank you." Kerry immediantly hung up
the
phone, not giving Randi a chance to push in.

Kerry stepped into the shower, allowing the scalding hot water to pour
over
her. With one hand bracing herself upon the wall hanger and another at
her
side, she wept. Kerry remained in the shower for an endless amount of
time.
When she stepped out, her entire bathroom was a fog. Reaching for the
towel, she quickly wrapped it around her and took a hold of her brace.
Stepping through her room, she reached her closet. Grabbing her gray
slacks
and her light blue sweater, Kerry got dressed in silence. After she
pulled
herself somewhat together, she brushed on light bits of makeup, ran a
comb
through her hair, and headed back through the hallway. Quickly, she
turned
off all of the lights and walked towards the door. Reaching for her
coat,
she balanced herself and slipped it on around her.

Kerry made her way off of the El train and down the steps that lead to
the
ambulance bay entrance of County. As she made the corner, the faint
sound
of sirens filled the air. It was going to be a busy night, she felt
it, and
she hadn't even came here to work. Stepping through the ER doors, her
eyes
caught the sight of an over-crowded waiting room and doctors
frantically
running about. Lydia stumbled over her.

"Dr. Weaver, I thought you called in today?"

Kerry gave a faint smile, "Yes, I did. I need to speak with Mark, have
you seen him?"

Lydia tilted her head to the right direction and noted Mark was in
Trauma
Room 1. Kerry nodded and took off, eager to avoid any run-ins with
fellow
staff. As she headed down the hallway, Lizzy stopped her.

"Kerry, I thought you weren't coming in today. Mark said something
about a
family emergency or such."

Kerry nodded, "Yes, that's true." The painful expression told all.

"Kerry, what is it? You know you can talk to me, after all," Lizzy
insisted.

The tears welled up in Kerry's eyes, the flooding of the truth
overwhelmed
her. "Yes, Lizzy, I need to talk to someone, please."

Elizabeth was awe stricken, but calmly led Kerry into the lounge, where
Lizzy proceded to shut the blinds and lock the door. Kerry headed
towards
the couch and eased herself into it. Elizabeth opted for the table
chair,
moving it just across from where Kerry was positioned. A concerned
look
flashed across Elizabeth's face. "Kerry, tell me what's wrong."

Kerry sighed, "Lizzy, I really shouldn't burden you with my problems, I
just..."

Lizzy spoke, in an under-rated soft-tone. "Kerry, it may not seem like
you
can talk to anyone here, but I'm here now. Please, something is
bothering
you. Talk to me."

Kerry nodded, "Okay, it's a long story, though."

Lizzy sighed, "Keeerrrry!!!"

Kerry smiled, "Well, you know I was adopted at birth, right?" Lizzy
nodded.
"I wanted answers about my past, I needed to know who my biological
mother
was, where she was, what she was doing.......why I was put up for
adoption
at birth. I needed to know for me..." Kerry sighed, "I hired a
private
investigator approximately a year ago. The leads he had were bad, he
set my
hopes up, then let me down in the end. I was devastated. However, I
still
had this deep down thing, I still wanted to know. About a month ago, I
hired Mr. Riely to overtake the case. He is a state-ranked
investigator, I
mean...he knows what he is talking about and what he is looking for."

"They didn't know, that's why. My mother set up the adoption several
months
before I was actually born, however, my adoptive parents never knew why
she
actually wanted to give me up. They assumed it was because she was
only 17
and she was all alone. There was no way she could support a child."
Lizzy
nodded, urging her to continue. "I learned the truth, the real truth
today
of my adoptive mother. Mr. Riely informed me of it when I met him for
an
appointment this afternoon."

Lizzy took in a deep breath. "Kerry, will you tell me?"

Kerry nodded, "I might as well. I need to get it out into the open, I
need
someone else's input on the situation." Kerry sighed, "This is really
hard
to tell, Lizzy."

Lizzy scooted over, onto the couch and put an arm around Kerry. She
felt a
tinge of akwardness, she never really got to know Kerry at all, and
now,
here she was listening to her life story. Lizzy smiled, "Kerry, I
think it
would help if you talked to someone."

Kerry sighed, setting her head in her hands. She could feel the tears
starting to come, why had this happened to her? Why had this life been
given to her? What had she done to deserve all of this? She knew that
the
answers would never come, all of it was just an open-ended statement in
her
life. Kerry lifted her head and looked at Lizzy.

"My mother, my biological mother, was 17 when she met this man. He was
twenty-nine at the time. My mother was a waitress in a small-town cafe
in
Vermont. She came from a well-known family, her father was the
President of
the local bank and her mother was a house-wife. My mother was the
oldest of
five children, her name was Allison Mathers. Anyway....I guess, as the
story is told my the local newspapers, an older man, by the name of
Ronald
Garrison came into town on the story of being an independent
businessman.
He supposedly came into the cafe, one afternoon, and started a
conversation
with my mother. He offerred to drive her home after work, and she
accepted
the offer." Kerry felt the tears streaming down, coming in streams
down her
face. Lizzy continued with her arm around her, offerring hushes of
comfort.

Kerry took in a deep breath and spit the words out, with pain and
frustration behind them. "He raped her.....left her at the side of the
road
to fend for herself. This was in the 1950's, Lizzy. Things like that
just
didn't happen back then. A local farmer found her the next morning and
rushed her to the nearest hospital. They never saw a sign of Mr.
Garrison,
is was as if he fell off the face of the earth. They all assumed he
crossed
the border into Canada. The case was never followed up on. My mother
never
returned to work again at the cafe, she was ashamed and her parents
took the
entire even out on her. About four months later, my mother turned up
pregnant. It was really a sad event, in the long run. My mother never
told
her parents. She took the nearest Greyhound out of town and headed a
few
hundred miles away. She stayed at the local women's shelter and filed
the
papers to give me up for adoption, three months before I was due to be
born.
On June 24, 1958, I was born in Center Creek, Vermont. A day later,
I was
turned over to my adoptive parents, Christina and Franklin Weaver.
They
never were told the underlying truth of the reason for my mother to
give me
up for adoption. They never knew it was because I was the result of a
rape.....I wonder...if they had known, if they would have even kept
me?"

Kerry couldn't go on, she broke down into tears. It was all too
painful.
Lizzy sighed, gently patting Kerry's shoulder. "Were Mr. Riely's facts
correct? Is there any possible way that he could have you mistaken for
someone else?"

Kerry shook her head, "No, it's all true. He showed me the legal
adoption
papers, with my biological mother's signature on them, along with my
adoptive parents signature. He also showed me a newspaper article on
the
rape, it is all true." Kerry burst into tears again, then turned to
Lizzy.
"Elizabeth, I am the product of a rape....of an illegal, abusive,
ill-tolerant, crime. We see women in this position sweep through the
ER all
the time, and never think twice about it, we say how badly we fill for
them.
Deep down, though, we are thankful it's not us and we look upon them
as
trash. Lizzy, I.....I'm the child of one of those women."

Lizzy sighed, this entire image that Kerry had painted for her was
painstaking. She never, never thought anything like this could occur,
it
was impossible. She imbraced Kerry in a hug, while Kerry cried on her
shoulder. After several moments, Kerry released from the hug and sat
back,
against the couch. She rubber her hands and her eyes and sighed.
"Lizzy, I
have to find my biological mother, I have to talk to her. Prove to her
how
thankful I am that she went through with the birth, tell her how I
understand....Lizzy, I have to do it." Lizzy nodded, "Kerry, I will
not let
you go alone, I'm going with you."

Kerry shook her head, "No, Lizzy. I can't pull you into this. You
have a
life here, you have Mark, your work."

Lizzy refused, "Kerry, I can't let you do this alone, I will not let
you do
it alone. Do you know where you mother is now?"

Kerry nodded, "Yes, she resides in Michigan. He name is Allison
Harver.
Lizzy, please, I will be okay."

Lizzy stood up, shaking her head, her light red curls flying out behind
her,
"No, Kerry, we will head up and talk to Romano now. We will tell him
of
some medical convention that is being held. He will believe it and be
all
for it. Now, come on." Lizzy smiled, and held a hand out for Kerry to
take.

Kerry smiled and took a hold of Elizabeth's hand, easing herself off of
the
couch. Lizzy had a determined look on her face. "How will you explain
all
of this to Mark, Lizzy?"

Lizzy smiled, "Mark? He'll buy anything!" She laughed gently and
headed
towards the door, unlocking it. "Come on Kerry, we will go catch
Robert and
tell him what is up, sort of." Kerry nodded, she was so numb at this
point,
she wasn't aware of anything.

The two of them headed up to the sixth floor to Dr. Romano's office.
Kerry
stayed behind Lizzy, who valantly walked the halls. Lizzy stopped and
glanced back, "Come on Kerry, you aren't afraid of Robert are you?"
Lizzy
smiled and waited for Kerry. Quickly, almost too quickly in Kerry's
opinion, they came upon Robert's office door. Lizzy rapped on it three
times and the sound of Robert's off voice came through. "Who is it?"

Lizzy opened the door and peeked through, "Hello, Robert. Dr. Weaver
and I
would like to speak with you." Lizzy grabbed a hold of Kerry and led
her
into the office, Robert had a smug look on his face.

"What can I do for you fine ladies today?" He smiled, a deep dark
smile.

"Actually, Kerry and I would like to make you an offer, it will really
be a
benefit to County." Lizzy was doing all of the speaking and for this,
Kerry
was grateful.

"And what is you offer, Miss Corday?" Robert inquired.

Lizzy smiled and took a deep breath inward. "Kerry brought in an
article
today about a medical convention being held in Michigan. It deals with
better ways to prepare and build staff efforts for both the ER and the
Surgery Department. We were talking and we believe that it would be a
wonderful opportunity for us to go."

Robert glared at Lizzy and Kerry. "What? I haven't heard a thing
about a
convention in Michigan. Besides that, why would I want to send two of
my
best doctors off, when I can send someone like Dr. Greene and Dr.
Benton off
up there, instead."

Lizzy knew he would be a tough one to handle. "It's a convention set
up by
the University of Michigan, their medical program sponsors it. I
realize it
would be difficult to fill our positions, but we will only be away for
a few
days, five at the most." Lizzy gave him a broad smile, hoping he would
buy
it all.

Robert sighed, "Yes, I believe I read something about that convention,
a
yearly event or such. If I let you two go, I want a detailed anaylsis
report about it and I expect to see drastic changes in the way the ER
and
the surgery department are handled." He turned to Kerry, "Are you
positive
you want to leave your ER in the hands of Dr. Mark Greene?"

Kerry caught her breath, then smiled, "Oh, yes, I am sure that Mark
could
handle everything. Like Lizzy said, it will only be for a few days and
it
will better help to manage and improve County as a whole." Kerry
prayed
that Robert would buy this line, she was surprised when he said he had
actually heard about the convention.

Lizzy and Kerry decided to push it no farther, they both quickly got up
and
headed towards the door. Robert stopped them, "Oh, ladies." They both
turned around. Robert gave them a quick smile, "Before you two go off
on
this calavanting journey, I want a detailed report of all patients you
have
seen within the past week, in case we have a bounce back incident.
Thank-you and have fun!" He put his feet upon his desk and his hands
behind
his head, showing how much power he thought he actually had.

Lizzy and Kerry returned to the hallway. Lizzy glanced at Kerry, "A
detailed report of all the patients I have seen in the past week! That
will
be well over one hundred reports." Kerry nodded, "I know. Lizzy, if
you
don't want to go, you don't have to."

Lizzy smiled, "Oh, quite being silly Kerry, of course I want to go!
After
all, this is the chance of a lifetime for County, remember?" The two
of
them laughed and for once during the past few hours, Kerry was actually
somewhat relaxed and calmer.

Kerry sat up in her bed and glanced out of the window. Dawn was rising
and
the sun would be peeking through her curtains soon. She peeked at her
alarm
clock, it was already 6:37. She was supposed to meet Lizzy at O'Hare
at
9:00. Kerry was still in awe that Lizzy had been so inept to going, it
shocked her to say the least.

Kerry grasped her brace, which was leaning upon her nightstand, and
slipped
it onto her arm. Easing herself out of bed, she headed towards the
bathroom
and quickly turned the shower on. Walking towards the kitchen, she
made her
way towards the coffee pot. Checking the machine, she realized that in
her
haste of the night before, she had forgotten to set it to make the
coffee
this morning. Sighing, she went to the sink and filled the pot with
the
water. Reaching into the cabinet, she located her special stash of
Raspberry espresso Blend and sat it on the counter. Gently pouring the
water into the machine, she placed the filter in the holder and dumped
the
grounds into it. She flipped the switch on and headed back towards her
room.

Side-stepping her luggage in the middle of the floor, she made her way
towards her closet and sifted through the clothes that she had decided
against packing. Trying to stick with fashion and comfort, she opted
for
her dark kakis, off-white blouse, and she would layer her brown leather
blazer over the top. Kerry headed for the shower, hoping the warm
water
would wash all remaining worries away.

After Kerry had dressed and felt adequate enough to go out in public,
she
headed back into the kitchen. The room was filled with the rich and
sweet
aroma of her coffe. Smiling, she headed towards her oak cabinets and
latched onto her favorite coffee mug. Gengerly and carefully pouring
the
mug full of coffee, she glanced up at the wall clock. It was only
7:43.
She still had plenty of time before she needed to call the cab to come
and
pick her up. Walking through the house, she ended up in her den. The
floor
was scattered with old medical books and unfinished charts. She sat
down at
her desk and eyed the photo of her and her adoptive mother, which was
positioned in the silver frame. Gently picking it up, she gazed into
her
mother's eyes. That was the only mother she had ever known, the only
mother
she had every cared for. What was she doing, going off in search of
this
woman...this woman that probably never thought twice about Kerry, even
though Kerry thought of her on a daily basis. Kerry smiled at the
picture,
"Mamma, I'm not doing this to hurt you, I just want to know the truth."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The drab yellow cab pulled up outside the airport, Kerry had her head
layed
against the glass of the door. She sighed as it came to a stop and
quickly
paid the driver. He thanked her and got outside, heading towards the
trunk
of the vehicle to retrieve her luggage from the back. She pulled the
door
handle and allowed the door to swing freely away from the car. Kerry
stepped out onto the sidewalk and managed to pull herself the rest of
the
way out of the car. The driver came around, lugging her luggage beside
him.
He sat it down at her feet. "There you go ma'am. Can I help you into
the
airport?" Kerry shook her head, "No, that's okay. I can manage." The
taxi
driver nodded and went back around to the driver's side of the cab.
Kerry
grabbed a hold of her luggage and managed to make her way into the main
lobby of O'Hare.

She quickly caught sight of Lizzy and waved at her. Lizzy smiled
brightly
and headed towards Kerry. Kerry noticed that Lizzy only had one bag, a
carry-on. Kerry smiled to Lizzy as she neared, "Hi, Elizabeth!"

Lizzy nodded in response, "I was beginning to think that you had backed
out
on our little journey, Kerry!"

Kerry shook her head, "No, the traffic was just backed up and the cab
driver
wanted to have a conversation more than he wanted to drive." Kerry
laughed
lightly. "Thanks, Lizzy, again for coming."

Lizzy smiled, "Oh, it's nothing! Don't worry about it. Come on, we
had
better head over and purchase out tickets." Kerry nodded and she bent
down
to grab a hold of her luggage. Lizzy stopped, "Can I give you a hand
with
those?"

Kerry looked up, "No, that's okay, I got it."

Lizzy crimaced and nodded, "Okay, if you are sure." Kerry smiled as
she
managed to pick the luggage up once more. "I'm fine," Kerry promised.
The
two of them headed towards the counter, to purchase their tickets.
Kerry
had already called the airport last night and confirmed that a flight
would
be able to get them close to where her mother lived. The closest
in-route
flight they could locate was one that stopped at Detroit, then they
would
have to fend for themselves and locate a taxi or Amtrack to take them
the
next fifty miles west to Garfield, Michigan, which is where Kerry's
mother
resides.

Kerry came around Lizzy and made sure she was the first one to the
ticket
counter. Kerry smiled at the older, balding man. "Hello." "Good day,
Miss. What can I do for you?" Kerry glanced above him at the flight
schedules. The Michigan flight was on time. "Yes, I need to
round-trip
flight tickets to Detroit, Michigan please." Lizzy tapped on Kerry's
shoulder. "No, Kerry, I will pay for mine." Kerry brushed her hand
away,
"No, Lizzy, it's the least I can do." Kerry turned back around, facing
the
man, who's name tag read, 'Jason'. He was busy tapping on the
keyboard,
with a concentrated look on his face. "Okay, yes...there are several
open
seats for that flight. We have five seats left in Coach and ten seats
left
open in First Class." Kerry girmaced, "Two First Class Seats please."
The
man busily tapped upon the keyboard once more, "Together or separate?"
Kerry thougth for a second, "Together please." He nodded and began
entering
codes into the computer. "That will be $2250.00 please. Cash or
charge?"
Kerry rumaged through her purse and mubled, 'charge'. He waited for
her to
hand him her credit card. She flipped through her wallet and pulled
out her
American Express charge card. Handing it to him, she turned back and
glanced at Lizzy. Kerry smiled brightly at her, then turned back. He
ran
her card through the slots, then handed it back to her. Reaching under
the
desk, he pulled out two tickets. "There you go, two first class,
round-trip
tickets to Detroit, Michigan. Your seat numbers are located on the
tickets.
Enjoy your visit."

Kerry nodded and then turned back to Lizzy, who had a concerned look on
her
face. "Kerry, I could have paid for my own ticket!"

Kerry handed Lizzy her ticket and smiled, "I know you could have, but I
wanted to. Please, just take it."

Lizzy took a hold of the ticket and smiled at Kerry, "Thank you."

Kerry shook her head, "No, thank you." Kerry checked the clock upon the
wall. "We have about ten minutes before our flight takes off. We had
better head towards the luggage drop-off and down towards the gate."
Lizzy
nodded, "After you!"

After they had went through security and checked their luggage in, they
headed towards the gate. Kerry had to end up only being allowed to
take on
bag onto the plane, while Lizzy's carry-on bag was accepted. They
headed
towards Gate 10 in silence. Both of them had their minds on the trip.
"Now
boarding Flight 437 bound for Detroit, Michigan, Gate 10." Lizzy
turned to
Kerry, "That's us!"

Kerry smiled, glancing over at Lizzy, "Yeah, it is." Kerry looked
ahead and
spotted the Gate number. "There we are, right ahead." Lizzy looked
up,
"Well, at least we don't have to walk far!" They headed towards the
Gate,
tickets and luggage in hand. The attendant standing near the outside
of the
terminal was a short, brunette. She had a large smiled plastered
across her
face. Kerry went first, handing her her ticket, "Enjoy your flight,
Ma'am."
She handed Kerry the stub and Kerry crossed over, into the terminal.
She
turned and waited for Lizzy. Lizzy handed the attendant her ticket,
and
waited for the stub. The women smiled and returned the stub to Lizzy,
"Enjoy your flight." Lizzy smiled, nodding gently and headed towards
Kerry.
They walked down the terminal smiling broadly, as two high school
girls
would after they had just snuck out of their parents house.

As they boarded the plane, Kerry searched for their seats. Heading
into the
First Class area, Kerry felt somewhat important. She turned to look
for
Lizzy, noting that she was following her. Kerry quickly located their
seats
and waited for Lizzy. "Would you like the window or aisle seat?"
Lizzy
appeared to think for a second. "The aisle seat, if I look out the
window
too much, you will have to take me off of this thing on a gurney!"
They
laughed at the joke and Kerry took her seat near the window. Sliding
her
brace off, she leaned it against the seat in front of her and watched
as
Lizzy set her carry-on bag up above them. Smiling, Lizzy took her seat
and
fastened her belt. Kerry thought this was rather amusing, realizing
that
they hadn't even called for everyone to place their seat belts on yet.
Lizzy
caught site of Kerry watching her and she smiled. "I hate these
things!
They scare me just a bit. When I was flying across the pond from
London, I
thought I would have an MI before I reached land!"

Kerry laughed at Lizzy when she said that. "Don't worry, this flight
should
only take a couple of hours, we will be there in no time." About the
time
that Kerry said that, the Flight Attendant came over the intercom
announcing
they would be taking off soon and everyone needed to fasten thier
safety
belts. Moments later, the plane was taxing down the run-way and they
were
in the air. Lizzy's grip upon her seat was painstakingly hard to
watch.
Kerry felt sorry for the hand rest. Once the plane had evened out and
was
on it's way, the flight attendants began wandering down the aisle,
asking
passengers for refreshments. A young women stopped at Kerry and
Lizzy's
seats, "Hello, ladies, is there anything I can get for you today? We
have
an extensive wine list, soda, water, and several snacks." Lizzy looked
up
at her, "I think I would like a glass of White Wine, please."
"Anything
else?," the women inquired. "No, that's all for me now." She turned
to
Kerry, "And what can I get for you today?" Kerry looked up, "Just a
glass
of spring water with a slice of lemon, please." The young woman nodded
and
went off to fill their orders. Lizzy turned to Kerry, "Usually, I
don't
drink, but it might relieve my nerves!" They both smiled and waited
for
their drinks to return.

Kerry woke up to Lizzy shaking her gently. "Kerry, wake up, we are
about
ready to land." Kerry brushed her hands over her eyes, trying to
become
awakened to what was going on. She was somewhat confused. Quickly,
she
rejogged her memory and remembered that they were on a flight to
Michigan to
meet her mother. Kerry fastened her seat belt and turned to Lizzy.
"How
long was I asleep?" Lizzy smiled, "Only a little over an hour." Kerry
nodded and glanced out the window. Below her were lakes of water and
hills
of grass, tress and wide open space. She was shocked as to how
beautiful it
all appeared. Kerry glanced over at Lizzy, who once more had her hands
wrapped around the arm rest. Smiling lightly, Kerry felt the place
begin to
lose alititude and hit the run-way. She closed her eyes and waited for
the
plane to come to a stop. As soon as she felt the plane come to a stop,
she
opened her eyes and found Lizzy staring at her. "Landing is the worst
part," Kerry said with a laugh. They waited for the all-clear and
unbuckled
their belts. Lizzy stood up and reached for her bag, while Kerry eased
herself out of the seat and grabbed a hold of her brace. Gently
sliding it
around her arm, she headed towards the aisle. Lizy had moved down a
bit,
leaving Kerry room to manuever. As they stepped off of the plane and
on to
the terminal, Lizzy looked at Kerry. "I can't believe we actually
pulled it
off!!" Kerry nodded, "I know, now, we just have to figure out how to
get to
Garfield!"

As they stepped out of the airport lobby and into the open air, Kerry
took
in a deep breath. The airport was rather small and out in the open
country.
It was nothing like O'Hare. Kerry glanced up at the sky, then back
down.
The sun was blinding and the sky was bright blue, not a cloud in site.
Lizzy headed towards the edge of the sidewalk and flagged a cab down,
one
immediantly stopped and waited for the two of them to pile in. The
driver,
a young caucasion man, helped Lizzy and Kerry with their luggage and
opened
the back doors for them. Luckily, Kerry's luggage hadn't gotten lost
in the
travel, and they didn't have that to worry about. Once they were all
settled and the driver was in the front, he turned around. "Where can I
take
you two ladies this fine afternoon?" Kerry gave him a polite smile,
"Garfield, please. I think it is approx. fifty miles away." He
nodded,
"Yeah, I know where it's at. Not much there. Can't see why two city
gals
like you would want to go to Garfield." Lizzy smiled, "We are meeting
someone there." He shrugged, "None of my business, I'm just the
driver."
He turned around and backed the cab out of the parking place.

An hour later, they drove past the city limit sign of Garfield,
Michigan.
The sign read, "City Limits of Garfield, POP. 753". Kerry smiled as
they
drove by, a small town, she was glad of that. She was afraid she
couldn't
have handled the hustle and bustle of the large town atmosphere.

The driver stopped at a stop sign and glanced in his rear-view mirror.
"Were do you two want dropped off?" Kerry thought for a second, she
was
rather lost at the answer for that. Lizzy spoke up. "Could you
recommend a
nice hotel?" He laughed, "In Garfield? Well, I'll tell you this much,
there aren't any plazas or hotel suites here. The nearest thing we
have to
that is a Bed & Breakfast over on 3rd Street." Lizzy smiled, "That
will be
fine, thank you." He nodded and made a sharp right hand turn.

Moments later, he stopped in front of a large Victorian style house.
"Here
ya go. Your total is $120.00." Kerry reached for her purse, but Lizzy
stopped her. "I'm paying this time." She rumaged through her bag and
came
up with her wallet, pulling out $120.00 exactly, she handed it to him.
Remembering a tip, she reached back in and pulled out a $10 bill. She
handed
him the money, then opened her door. Kerry latched onto her brace then
opened the car door. The driver had already reached the trunk and had
their
luggage resting on the sidewalk waiting for them. Lizzy and Kerry made
it
up onto the sidewalk. "You ladies have a nice visit." They both
nodded and
watched as he crawled back in and pulled away, driving off down the
road

Lizzy glanced at Kerry, "Well, here we are!" Kerry smiled, "Yeah, here
we
are. I still can't believe it, you know." Lizzy nodded, "Believe me,
I
know!" Kerry grasped her luggage and they headed up onto the sidewalk
of
the house. Lizzy glanced at the door. Written in large gold writing
upon
the window, it read, "The Seven Gables Bed & Breakfast". Lizzy glanced
at
Kerry, who shrugged her shoulders. Kerry reached for the door and
opened
it, upon doing so, a bell went off. The loud *ding* made her jump.
Lizzy
giggled. Kerry went ahead into the large open lobby. A scent of
popouri
and must overwhelmed her. She spotted the desk and checked back behind
her
to make sure Lizzy was following. Lizzy quickly shut the door behind
herself and followed after Kerry.

Kerry headed towards the desk and sat her luggage upon the red-wood
hard
floors. Glancing around, she opted to ring the bell upon the desk top.
Lizzy dropped her bags to the floor and whispered to Kerry, "Maybe they
aren't open?" Just then, an older women appeared from around the
corner.
She smiled at the two of them and came up behind the desk. "Good
afternoon
ladies, I'm Allison Harver, what can I do for you?" Kerry lost sight
of
what was happening, she felt light and faint. The air turned cold and
lights begin to blink *on* and *off*. Lizzy stepped around her, "Kerry
are
you okay?" Kerry nodded and whispered the words, "Yes, just a bit
light-headed. I'm fine." Lizzy had a concerend look across her face.
The
woman behind the counter was equally disturbed. "Are you okay?" she
questioned. Kerry looked into her deep blue eyes and smiled, "I'm
fine,
really."

Lizzy helped Kerry over to the over-stuffed dark leather lounge chair
and
eased down beside her. "Do you want to stay here, or should I take you
to
the hospital?" Kerry shook her head, "No, I think it's just he effects
of
the flight. Go ahead and check us in." Lizzy pursed her face up and
nodded. She patted Kerry on the knee and got up from her crouched
position,
she then turned and headed back towards the counter. "Is your friend
okay?"
Mrs. Harver questioned. "Yes, she's just a bit whoozy after our
flight.
She will be fine." Mrs. Harver nodded, "Now, what can I do for you?"
Lizzy
smiled, "We would like a room please." Mrs. Haver checked the large
book
that lay open in front of her. "Two bedrooms?" Lizzy nodded, "Yes,
please." Mrs. Harver reached for a key which was hanging on a hook
behind
her. "We have a two bedroom, one bath room available. Will that do?"
Lizzy turned to Kerry, who glanced up and nodded her head. Lizzy
turned
back to the woman, "Yes, that will be fine." Mrs. Harver handed Lizzy
the
key. "You may pay when you leave. We serve breakfast at 8:00, lunch
at
1:00, and supper at 7:30. You may either eat here or go out. However,
the
meals are already added in. How long will you be staying?" Lizzy took
in
the question, "Probably a few days, no later than four." Mrs. Harvers
nodded, "Good, your room is Room #6. Take the stairs up and it's the
last
room on the right. The dining room is here on the first floor, through
that
hallway," Mrs. Harver turned, pointing to her left. "The backyard has
a
lovely garden and you are welcome to use the deb, which is through
those
French doors," she motioned to the back of her. Lizzy smiled,
"Thank-you."

Lizzy turned from the counter and returned back to Kerry. She kneeled
down
and smiled. "Do you think you can make it up the stairs?" Kerry
nodded,
"I'm fine, Lizzy, I can manage." Lizzy pulled herself up off of the
floor
and watched as Kerry eased herself up. She was a bit wobbly, but none
the
worse for wear. Lizzy grabbed all of their luggage and followed Kerry
up the
stairs. Kerry was in a slight state of shock. When that woman had
mentioned her name, it seemed as if the world fell upon her. That was
her
mother!! It was all so sudden to Kerry. She stepped upon the flat of
the
stairs and stopped at the top of them. Stepping aside, she waited for
Lizzy
to make it up. Lizzy stepped onto the second floor and glanced about.
"She
said it was the last room on the right." Kerry headed down the
hallway,
checking the doors. Stopping in front of the door marked #7, Kerry
turned
to Lizzy. "Room #7, right?" Lizzy nodded, she came upon the door, and
dropped the bags to the floor. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she
retrieved the key and unlocked the door. Opening it, Kerry heard her
take a
deep breath in. Kerry followed Lizzy through the door and found
herself
amist a room full of antique furniture and crystal. Kerry was
over-taken by
the sight. She headed farther into the room.Lizzy stood just inside
the
door, watching Kerry eye everything. She was also taken aback by the
decor.

Kerry stood in the center of the room, gazing about. In the far left
corner, there was a four post bed, it had a quilt over the top of it.
One
of the wedding ring design, if Kerry wasn't mistaken. Beside it was an
oak
stained night stand with stained glass panes put into the cabinets of
it.
Across from the bed was a beautiful oak vanity with a matching bench
that
was upholstered in deep navy velvet. The walls were decorated with
original
oil paintings depicting the Victorian Era. The carpet was that of a
deep
shag white and the walls were an off-blue. On the far right wall, a
large
picture window looked out onto the garden below, it was open and the
curtains swayed in the breeze. Kerry gazed in wonder. To her left,
their
was a large door, leading into the bathroom. She glanced back at Lizzy
who
appeared to be in the same shape Kerry was in.

Kerry stepped forward, towards the bathroom. It was decorated in a
light
pale marble and a deep blue. It was extremely large with a garden
bathtub
and a separate shower. The counter was long with two adjoining sinks
and
two mirrors, set beside each other. The bathroom connected the two
bedrooms
together. Kerry ran her hand over the smooth marble, letting the
coolness
of it sooth her. She ambled into the other bedroom, expecting to be in
awe
once more. With little surprise, she was. It was decorated in the
pale
off-white color, with a four post bed resembling the one next door. It
had
the same furniture, only different pictures, carpet, and wall coloring.
The
window here was on the fall south wall facing the front yard. Kerry
turned
around, and came face-to-face with Lizzy.

"This is so spectacular," Lizzy cooed.

"Yes, it is really lovely," Kerry replied. Her mind went from the
lovliness
of the rooms to the woman downstairs. She headed towards the bed and
eased
herself upon it, letting her brace hang at the side. Lizzy came up
beside
her and sat down, eyeing her suspicously.

"Kerry, are you sure you are okay? I mean, you said you had flown
several
times before, so why would this flight have bothered you like that? I
can
take you to the nearest hospital and have you checked out, if you
want."
Lizzy still played on as being concerned, and she truely was.

None of it had registered with Lizzy when the woman mentioned her name
earlier. It had merely went into one ear and out the next. Lizzy sat
still, remembering what the woman had said. Allison Harver....Kerry's
mother. "Kerry! This is so ironic, I mean, the name didn't even
register
with me! Well, this is wonderful, our search ended before it began,
really.
Kerry....Kerry....still there?"

Kerry glanced up, "Yes, I know, it is ironic actually. I didn't know
what
to do, she was so....so real. That's her Lizzy, my mother! What do I
do? Go
downstairs, wrap my arms around her and say, 'Hi Mom!'?"

Lizzy nodded, "It won't be easy but we can't back out. This is like
the
opportunity knocking on your door Kerry, it's fate. We were meant to
show
up here, The Seven Gables Bed & Breakfast, this is not irony, Kerry,
it's
the simple truth of a miracle."

Kerry stood up from the bed, readjusting her brace. She headed towards
the
window and glanced out at the street below. "I know, it is a miracle.
I
just don't know how to react. I can't be snoopy and act as if all of
this
has fallen under the pretense of a miracle, though. I have to assume
that
she doesn't know who I am at all, and the plain and simple truth that I
know
who she is." It was all to painful and confusing to Kerry. She turned
around, facing Lizzy.

Lizzy could detect the struggle of the pain in Kerry's face. Trying to
lighten the mood, she quickly smiled. She checked her watch, it was
after
6:00. "Look, dinner will be served in a little over an hour. Why
don't we
freshen up a bit before we head down? Which room would you like and I
can go
ahead and settle in while you clean up."

Kerry though for a second, "The first one, if you don't mind. I love
the
garden view."

Kerry nodded, then crept away from the window. Putting on a smile, she
bid
Lizzy good-bye and went through the bathroom, shutting the door behind
her.
Elizabeth had placed her luggage upon the floor. Kerry ambled over,
picking
it up and took it over to the bed. She gently opened her suitcase and
removed her clothing from it, laying it out so as it wouldn't appear
too
wrinkled. Kerry went over to the closet and opened the door. A strong
smell of oldness and cedar shavings bounced back at her. She flipped
the
outer switch and an above light came on, illuminating the closet. She
grabbed the metal hangers from the rod and went back to the bed.
Cautiously
and slowly, she hung her clothes upon the hangers and placed them back
into
the closet.

After this was done, she went over by the vanity. She could hear water
running in the bathroom and assumed Lizzy was washing up a bit. Kerry
glanced at herself in the long mirror. The dark tired circles under
her
eyes, along with the paleness of her cheeks made her appear much older
than
she was. She straightened her jacket and pants, approving the look
somewhat
more appropriate for dinner. Kerry grabbed her brush from her
toiletries
bag and ran it through her hair. After adjusting her glasses, she felt
ready to go downstairs. Just then, Lizzy popped her head through the
bathroom door. "Are you ready to head down Kerry? Dinner starts in
about
ten minutes."

Kerry hesitated, beginning to hate the idea, then nodded her head.
"Why
not?" The two of them exited their rooms and headed downstairs. The
sweet
aroma of fresh bread hit them the minute they hit the first floor. It
was
overwhelming. Kerry smiled to Lizzy, "Maybe this won't be so bad after
all?" Lizzy nodded and went ahead of Kerry, heading towards the dining
room
area. They entered the room, finding it to be empty, with the
exception of
the large table adorned with food in the center. Mrs. Harver peeked
through
from the kitchen. "Ah, nice to see you two again. I'm afraid it will
just
be the two of us this evening. My husband had to stay at work late and
you
two are the only guests right now. Business is usually slower in the
fall."

Lizzy stepped forward, "It all looks so delicious Mrs. Harver."

"Oh, please call me Allison."

Lizzy smiled, glancing back at Kerry who appeared to be ready to pass
out
once more. Lizzy turned back around, focusing on Allison. "I'm Dr.
Elizabeth Corday and this is Dr. Kerry Weaver. We are from Chicago,
visiting. You can call me Lizzy."

Kerry took this on as her cue and she stepped forward beside Lizzy,
"And you
can call me Kerry."

Mrs. Harver smiled. "Well, well, two big shot doctors from Chicago,
how
lucky am I? You two go ahead and grab a seat at the table, I'll join
you in
a second. Help youselves to the food, too." Mrs. Harver headed back
into
the kitchen. The sounds of rattling pots and pans echoed throughout
the
dining room. Lizzy took off towards the table, pulling a chair away
from it
and plopping down. She glanced back at Kerry. "Oh, come on and sit
down."
Kerry was hesitant but went forward. She picked the seat across from
Lizzy,
slid her brace off and leaned it against the wall. Kerry eased herself
into
the chair and stared Lizzy in the eye.

Kerry took a deep breath, "Lizzy, what do I do? Do I just say, 'Please
pass
the potatoes and by the way, I'm your daughter'? Maybe this was all a
bad
idea."

Lizzy shook her head, "Nonsense but don't draw it out, if you drop it
on her
the last day she might feel as if you were just being snoopy or
something.
I'm here to help you though."

Kerry nodded and began to speak, when Mrs. Harver came out of the
kitchen,
holding a basket full of rolls. She sat them upon the table and pulled
the
chair at the head of the table out. Sitting down, the eyed Lizzy and
Kerry.
She reached for the pot roast, placing two large pieces on her plate.
She
passed it on to Lizzy, smiling. "You city-folk are much on meat are
you?"
Lizzy laughed, "Oh, not me, I just adore a good pot roast." Lizzy
threw a
glance in Kerry's direction. Kerry smiled, "Me too." Lizzy placed a
small
portion of the meat on her plate than handed the rest to Kerry. Kerry
stared at the meat, feeling so very strange. She was eating a
home-cooked
meal from her mother and her mother didn't even realize it.

Once they all had their plates filled with generous proportions of
several
types of food, Mrs. Harver striked up a conversation. "So, you two are
doctors in Chicago?"

Lizzy nodded, "That's correct. I'm the Associate Head of Surgery and
Kerry
here is the Chief of Emergency Medicine."

Mrs. Harver seemed impressed. "What brings you gals to a small town
like
this?"

Kerry spoke up, "Oh, we just wanted to get away, that's all."

Mrs. Harver took the answer in strides and moved on. "Where are you
originally from Lizzy? I love the accent."

Lizzy blushed, "England, I moved to the U.S. a few years ago when I was
offerred a fellowship at County General in Chicago."

Mrs. Harver became lost in all of that and moved on to Kerry. "Where
are
you from Kerry?"

Kerry smiled, noting this would be a nice chance to jump in,
"Originally I'm
from Vermont."

Mrs. Harver's face became crinkled and jaded. "Vermont? How
interesting. I
used to live there."

Kerry hated to do this but she pursued the conversation as a complete
dummy,
knowing nothing. "Really? Where at in Vermont?"

"Oh, no where really. A small town, much like Garfield." Mrs. Harver
smiled at Kerry.

Kerry wanted to keep going, "Mrs. Harver....Allison, do you have any
children?"

"Why, yes I do, three actually. Two daughters and one son, all grown up
and
gone. I hear from them now and then."

Kerry wondered if she was included in with the two daughters, she felt
so
left out, alone.

Mrs. Harver spoke up again, "I miss them, very much."

Lizzy broke in, "I am sure that you do. Children are special, precious
things. We should never forget them and always care about them."

Kerry shot a glance at Lizzy. What was she up to? Mrs. Harver
appeared
somewhat taken back.

"Yes, you are right, Lizzy. We should never forget them. Do you two
have
any children?" Mrs. Harver picked at her peas, smiling at the two of
them.

"Me? Oh, no, no children yet. Although, I would love to have some."
Lizzy's eyes sparkled at the mention of children in the future.

Mrs. Harver turned to Kerry, "What about you? Do you have any children
Kerry?"

Kerry shook her head, "No, I don't. Which I am sorry for, too." All of
a
sudden, Kerry broke down. She couldn't handle this masquerade any
longer.
Weeping, she excused herself, latched onto her brace, and ambled up the
stairs. Lizzy and Allison sat alone, confused by what had just
occurred.

Mrs. Harver eyed Lizzy, "What was that all about? Are you sure she is
okay?"

Lizzy shook her head, trembling. "No, I don't think she is okay. If
you
will excuse me, I think I'll go check on her." Mrs. Harver nodded her
head,
still appearing confused by the whole event. Lizzy gave a quick smile
and
left the dining room. She caught sight of Kerry as she made her way up
the
stairs. Lizzy followed at a quick pace, trying to catch her.

Kerry was crying uncontrollably, trying to climb the stairs, trying to
get
to her room...trying to make sense out of all of this. She was lost in
a
sea of confusion and her life-boat had already sailed away with any
hope of
an answer at all. Kerry could hear Lizzy coming up behind her, yet she
made
little effort to acknowledge her. By the time Kerry was at the bedroom
door, Lizzy was only steps behind her. Kerry fumbled with the door
knob,
attempting to open it. Tears were streaming down her face. Lizzy came
up
behind her and grabbed a hold of the door knob, twisting it to the
right,
opening the door. Kerry headed straight for the bed, at a pace
unrecognizable by her. She threw her brace to the floor and piled
herself
upon the bed, sobs pouring out. Lizzy headed towards her, with a
concerned
look upon her face, once more. She sat at the foot of the bed, eyeing
Kerry.

"I couldn't do it Lizzy. I can't do it. I can't tell her she is my
mother....I just can't."

Lizzy glanced around the room, searching for an answer. "Kerry,
sometimes,
you just have to face the truth and go forward. You have to do things
that
you never thought were possible, just to get on with your life. Kerry,
this
is one of those things. If you leave here now...in a day..in
two...without
telling Mrs. Harver the REAL truth, you will never be able to go on
with you
life in a complete manner. Something will always be missing and you
will
always know what it is." Lizzy reached back and pulled her curly red
hair
away from her face. Sighing, she turned back to Kerry. "You know what
you
have to do, but I can't make you walk down those stairs and confront
the
truth." Lizzy got up from the bed and headed towards the bedroom door.
"I'm going back down to finsish my meal, either you can join or stay
up
here and I will attempt to explain it to Allison." Lizzy grimaced a
smile
and left Kerry's room.

Kerry laid back against the over-stuffed pillow and tried to
contemplate her
choices. Either she could walk down stairs and tell that woman what
and why
she had actually came to this whole-in-the-ground town, or she could
stay in
her room for the next two days and sleep. The latter seemed the wiser,
although she knew what she had to do. Kerry shut her eyes, feeling
herself
fall into a deep sleep. The cool wind from her open window blew around
her
and they night bugs were out.
Kerry headed into the dining room, with an eery feeling incircling her.
She
searched the small room for signs of life, finding no one.
Hesisitantly,
she headed towards the kitchen. A cool breeze blew by her and it sent
chills down her spine. Gently, she pushed against the door, feeling it
give
way to her weight. Peering into the small, cramped kitchen, she found
it
empty. Gazing around, she noted the copper pots and pan hanging above
the
center island. Her gaze fell to the floor. Kerry's breath was taken
away,
there lay her mother...Allison...a cold gaze across her face. Kerry
rushed
over towards her, tripping over her brace which was annoyingly getting
in
the way. Falling to her knees, Kerry burst into tears. "Nooooo...."
she
wept. "I never told you the truth, I never told you who I
am...Mother....."

Kerry awoke to a violent shaking. Mumbling to herself, she lifted her
eyes.
Lizzy was hovering over her. "Kerry....Kerry.....are you asleep?"
Kerry
sighed, "No, I just drifted off, I'm awake now." Lizzy sat once more
at the
edge of the bed. "I came into the room and you were moaning and
twisting
and turning. Did you have a bad dream?" Kerry sat up, "Yes...no...I'm
fine. What time is it?" Lizzy stood up from the bed and went to flip
on
the bedroom light. Kerry shielded her eyes from the violent rays and
focused her vision. Lizzy was checking her watch. "It's only fifteen
after
ten. Mrs. Harvers saved your plate, it's chilling in the refrigerator.
I'm
heading towards bed." Lizzy turned to go through the bathroom, but
stopped
at the door. "Kerry, possibly now would be a good time for you to talk
to
her." She waited not for Kerry to answer and hurried back through the
doors, into her room.

Kerry sighed, bending over the edge of the bed, she reached for her
brace.
Easing herself up, she slid it over her wrist and on up her arm.
Grimacing
in the truth, she knew Lizzy was right. Why fight it, just go down and
confront the woman. The worst thing she could do is deny it all and
suggest
that Kerry is lying. Kerry glanced in the mirror, but came to the
conclusion it was a lost cause. Heading towards the door, she felt her
hands began to tremble and the minor shakes moved throughout her body.
Calm
youself, Kerry, she told herself.

Somehow, she managed to make it down the stairs and to the bottom
floor.
All of the lights were out, except for the bright glow coming from the
den.
Kerry took a deep breath and headed towards the light. As she came
nearer,
the faintest sound of the TV came pouring over her. Peeking through
the
room, she smiled. Mrs. Harver....her mother...was sitting upon a large
comfy
couch, wrapped in a quilt, watching Saturday Night Live. Molly
Ringwald was
waltzing across the screen doing a rather insulting portrayal of a
hooker.
Kerry laughed quietly, making Mrs. Harver's turn.

Mrs. Harver motioned for her to come on into the room, "Here, come sit
down.
I won't bite."

Kerry smiled, it had been a while since she had heard tha expression.
Kerry
walked towards the couch, trying to hide her limp the best way
possible.
She hated the thought of looking the way she did, she wanted so badly
to
impress her mother. Kerry fell into the couch, and slid her brace off
of
her arm, letting it fall to the floor. Mrs. Harver turned down the
volume
of the TV.

Kerry nodded, feeling her responses had been limited to that motion
alone.
All of a sudden a compelling need to speak and tell the truth came out.
Kerry turned to Mrs. Harver. "I was adopted at birth."

A stunned expression came across Mrs. Harver's face. "What, honey?
What
brought that on?"

Kerry shook her head, "I'm sorry...Allison...it just came out." Kerry
hung
her head in shame. "I'm here...because....my mother lives in
Garfield.....my biological mother....I needed to find her and talk to
her."

Mrs. Harver, shook her head. "Kerry...Dr. Weaver...you must be
mistaken. I
have no inclinition as to what you are talking about." A few moments
passed, then a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I.....no.......you
can't
be.....that has been over forty years ago almost.....no.....no...The
daughter....wait, no," Mrs. Harver turned to Kerry shaking her head.
"How
did you...why did you...you don't even know...."

Kerry stared at her, facing her fears. "You had a baby girl, didn't
you
Allison. You gave her up for adoption because she was the product of a
rape. I know....I'm sorry to say it....I know."

Mrs. Harver stood up, throwing her quilt to the floor. "No.....you
couldn't
be her. Why?? She wasn't crippled...she was perfect...so delicate,
tiny.
You aren't her.....you don't even know for sure that I gave my baby
up!!!"

Mrs. Harver was circling the room, her face bright red and creases
forming
on her forehead. Kerry was at a loss, why had she brought the subject
up!!
She had done it in such a poor way too, "I was adopted", hmmm....not
the way
to go obviously. Kerry was confused, she wanted to leave, go back to
Chicago. She wanted to forget she had ever been here, go back to her
regular life. Kerry stared at the floor, then back up at Mrs. Harver,
who
had tears streaming down her face. Kerry started to get up, but Mrs.
Harver
signaled for her to stay put. She then walked towards the couch and
sat
down beside Kerry.

"Look, I'm sorry I flew off. It's just....I don't know what to say.
You
waltz in here and then tell me you are my daughter, and you expect me to
welcome you with open arms!" Mrs. Harver was shaking her head in a
rather
amusement of disgust.

Kerry glanced up at her, it was the first time she had actually studied
Mrs.
Harver. She was average height, probably not much over five and a half
feet
tall. She was small in stature, not weighing much more than Kerry.
Her
light strawberry blonde hair hung past her shoulders, in loose waves.
Her
eyes, once of deep blue, now were tired and faded. Kerry stared at her
and
saw herself, the resemblence was uncany.

"No, that's not what I except at all. I....." Kerry toned down, broke
down, and lost it. Crying seemed to be a rather daily event on her
part.
What had she done? She had just walked in and destroyed this woman's
life.
All for what? The truth?

Mrs. Harver looked at Kerry. "How did you find me? Why did you even
want
to find me? If you knew everything about the past, why even bother?"
She
was ringing her hands, and shaking her head.

Kerry brushed to tears away from her eyes, "My adoptive parents didn't
even tell me I had been adopted till I was twenty, since then, I have
wanted
nothing more but to locate you. They passed away over ten years ago,
leaving me an only child and lost in a world of wonders and whys. I
tried
to move on, forget I had another life out there, but I couldn't. I
hired a
private investigator two years ago. He got my hopes up, then let me
down,
leaving me in a trail of disgust and hopelessness. Two months ago, an
elderly woman came into the ER, she had sufferred a severe MI, heart
attack.
It had been brought on by years of congestive heart-failure. Her
last
words were, "I never told her I loved her", and when I asked who she
was
talking about, she said, "my daughter". Seconds later, she was gone.
Those
words awakened me to the reality that I had to find you."

Kerry watched Mrs. Harver, waiting for her expression to change. She
turned
to Kerry, "That still doesn't explain how you found me."

Kerry nodded, "I know. Let me go on. A few days after I had that
experience
with the elderly woman, I contacted a local private investigator. He
had
state-ranked back-grounds, the whole nine-yards. He knew what he was
doing
and he did it well. I gave him minor tid-bits of information and
within a
few months, he had all of this information lined-up for me. I just
found
all of this out a little less than a week ago. I had all of this
information in my lap and I had to jump at the chance to use it."

Mrs. Harver was still in a state of shock. "He told you why, then,
didn't
he. He told you about the rape...how I gave you up even before I had
you....how my parents left me alone and let me make it on my own."

Kerry nodded, "He told me everything. At first, I was upset, downright
disturb my the fact that I had been the product of such a terrible
inccident. I was scared, frightened, never in my wildest dreams did I
think
that that was the reason I had been given up. I preteneded it was for
a
more glamourous reason. When I knew the truth, it was painful, but I
accepted it."

Kerry shook her head, tears began rolling again. "I couldn't hate
you...you
gave me the chance at a wonderful life.....you gave me life. I admire
you,
I don't hate you."

Mrs. Harver smiled, then leaned in to give Kerry a hug, she hung on
tight,
not wanting to let go. Kerry embraced her, feeling an ease of pain
lift
from her soul. Mrs. Harver leaned back, staring at Kerry. "You don't
know
how much I thought about you in the past years, how much I have missed
you.
I felt awful for giving you up but I just couldn't keep you. At first,
it
was because I just didn't want to. I was afraid that everytime I
looked
into your eyes, all I would remember was that awful night. Then, later
on
in the pregnancy, a part of me had joined with you and I thought about
keeping you. When my parents turned on me and I left town, though, I
knew I
couldn't do that. I could never support an infant. I realized the
only
right and decent thing to do was put you up for adoption. It hurt me to
do
it, but I knew it was what was best for you. That day you were born,
I'll
never forget it. I wanted to hold you and never let go. They only
allowed
me to see you for a short time, then they took you away." She wiped a
tear
from the corner of her eye and took a deep breath in. "I tried to
memorize
every tiny detail of you. Your deep blue eyes, the whispy red hair,
you
small feet and hands. When they took you away, I kept telling myself
that I
had done the right thing, it was what was best for you. I tried to
move on
after that and eventually I did, never, though, did I forget you." Mrs.
Harver stared deeply into Kerry, "You were taken good care of, weren't
you?"

Kerry nodded her head deeply, "Oh, yes, definetly. I was adopted by
Christina and Franklin Weaver. They were church misionaries, when we
weren't overseas, my father was a mechanic for the local auto shop. My
mother," Kerry stopped, it was hard calling someone else her mother,
when
her real mother sat right before her, "my mother was a stay-at-home
wife.
We stayed in Vermont. I was the only child they had. Between church,
missionary work, and me, their time was pretty limited. They were
loving,
though, deeply caring. Both of them passed away over ten years ago,
like I
said."

Mrs. Harver smiled, "I'm glad you were taken care of, that makes me
feel
better. And look at you now, a prestigious doctor in Chicago!!
Hearing all
of this, really makes me proud, Kerry." She still seemed to have a
distraught look on her face. She was staring at the floor, her eyes
embedding Kerry's brace. Kerry was heartbroken, she wanted to know why
I
wore the thing. Kerry knew why.....she never wanted to tell
anyone...though, did she owe it to tell her. Mrs. Harver looked up,
she
forced a light smile, "Kerry, what happened to your leg?"

Kerry's head fell face down, she sighed. Why couldn't people look past
that? It was always the main focus point of her life, and for that,
she was
hurt. Kerry looked up into her mother's eyes, she could tell her.
Kerry
smiled, "You want to know why I wear the brace? Why I walk with a
limp?
Why I am considered handicapped, disabled, crippled, and physically
challenged?"

Her mother took it in as a shock, "Kerry, I'm sorry. I just wanted to
make
sure...know...that you weren't born that way."

Kerry shook her head, "It's okay, I'm use to it, and no, I wasn't born
this
way." Kerry sighed, then forced a rather small smile. "When I was a
little
over three months old, my parents took me on a missionary with them to
Africa. While we were there, I became ill, extremely ill. It was
determined that I was sufferring from poliolyelitis, polio. See, I
received
the vaccine when I was two months old, but missed my second dose at
four
months, because I was in Africa. I surcumbed to extensive
hospitalization
and medical treatments. I pulled through, luckily, with the only long
term
effects of the paralization in my right leg." Kerry sighed, then
stressed a
smile, "It's not too bad. I do have limited use of it and I manage all
right. Because of the incident, my parents began to limit their
traveling
to missionaries. They were concerned that I might be more susceptable
to
diseases. When I was thirteen, I convinced them that we should make
another
journey to Africa. It's really beautiful there. I enjoyed it so much,
that
during my internship, I went back there and did some medical studies
and
research."

Mrs. Harver smiled, "Well, I can see that this handicap certainly
didn't
stop you to fufilling your dreams. It's all really gratifiying Kerry,
to
know that you have turned you life into such a positive outlook on
things."

Kerry sighed, "That's the only way to live life, to the fullest. You
can't
let minor things set you back, no matter what they are. A person can't
give
up, no matter what the circumstances are."

Mrs. Harver tilted her head a bit and stared at Kerry, "I'm glad you
didn't
give up."

Kerry sat there with her Allison....her mother...all night. They
talked and
talked. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of Kerry. All of
her
questions now had answers. The unconditional feeling that Allison
seemed to
have towards Kerry was truely special. Kerry couldn't imagine what it
would
have been like if she wouldn't have came, if Lizzy hadn't urged her,
and if
Kerry would have just flat out gave up. Kerry felt complete now....an
empty
spot had been filled in her life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three days later, Lizzy and Kerry left Garfield. Kerry left behind a
new
life, one that she thought she would never locate, yet she did. As
they
pulled away from The Seven Gables, Kerry waved to Allison and James,
her new
found parents. The shock and realization had hit her, already. The
fact
that they had accepted her with open arms was all that mattered. The
fact
that Kerry accepted them.....that was a granted fact of life.

By the time that the cab had made it to the airport, Kerry felt
exstatic.
As her and Lizzy boarded their flight, Kerry was floating on a cloud.
This
was the best that she had felt in years......it was so wonderful.
During
the flight home, Lizzy and Kerry sat in silence. Lizzy could tell how
much
Kerry had changed, she just had this different air about her. She
seemed
complete. As the plane neared O'Hare, Kerry turned to Lizzy.
"Elizabeth,
thank you, thank you for being there for me, for being there for me.
You
gave me a shoulder to cry on, even though you didn't have to. When we
were
in the lounge, you could have just pushed my problems and me aside,
forgot
all about it, and left me to decide what to do. Instead, you stepped
in and
helped me take control of the situation. You were a real friend and I
don't
have too many of those at County. Thank-you, Elizabeth."

Kerry could tell by the solumn expression on Lizzy's face that she was
deeply touched by those few words. Lizzy smiled, "Kerry, I know that
you
must think that you are all alone at County, that everyone despises
you, and
that you can never turn to anyone for help. The fact of the matter is,
Kerry, you have friends at the ER. You've been there for almost six
years
and you have definetly made an impact. If you would have brought this
to
anyone, they would have offerred a hand. I'm glad that I was the one
that
you talked to. Thank-YOU, Kerry."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Kerry rounded the ambulance bay of County General, she spotted Lizzy
heading off of the steps leading from the EL. Lizzy caught her glance
and
smiled, waving lightly to her. She waited for Kerry to catch up.
Kerry
headed towards Lizzy, smiling. She had never felt so happy, not for a
long
time.

Kerry made it to Lizzy and they both paused before heading in. "Well,
we're
back. I wonder if anyone missed us?" Kerry questioned, smiling
broadly.

Lizzy shook her head, "I dought they even knew we were gone!"

They both laughed at each other and headed towards the ER doors. As
they
pushed their way through, Kerry caught the familiar aroma of the ER.
The
hectic scene reminded her how much she had actually missed it. Kerry
glanced over towards the chairs, only coming to the realization that
they
were full. Randi looked up from the admit desk, with the ability to
chop on
a piece of gum and smile at the same time, she gave a quick wave to
Kerry
and Lizzy. "Hi, Dr. Weaver, nice to see you back. Mark wanted to talk
to
you the minute you got back in, he's over in Curtain Area 2 with a
patient."
Randi turned to Lizzy, "Hi, Dr. Corday. Dr. Kovac needs a surgery
consult
in trauma room 1." The phone began to ring and Randi picked up,
"Hello,
County General ER, what can I do for you?"

Lizzy turned to Kerry and laughed, "Maybe we should head back out
towards
Garfield! It was so much quieter there!"

Kerry shook her head, "No, I think I'll be in Chicago for a while. It
seems
to suite me, better."

Lizzy nodded and the two of them headed towards the lounge, to get
prepared for another day at County General.